Quick start should give Cats upper hand

By Dean Laidley

10 September 2010 — 3:00am

ROUND three - when these teams last met - seems like so long ago. Geelong had players such as Ryan Gamble, Dawson Simpson, Nathan Djerrkurra and Mitch Duncan in the team. The Cats will look vastly different tonight. Fremantle was in great form and everyone was asking ''is this the new Fremantle?''

That question has certainly been answered over the home-and-away season and the first week of the finals, a team that was minus Hayden Ballantyne, Chris Tarrant and Michael Barlow. So we arrive tonight and the question remains: can this Fremantle outfit take it up to the reigning champs at the MCG, where up to eight players have not experienced the pressure-cooker atmosphere of finals football?

Style of play

We watched the Saints protect the corridor exceptionally well last weekend as the Cats tried continuously to bring the ball inside by hand and foot. It was the main reason for the difference in the scoreline, particularly at half-time.

Advertisement

Fremantle had success putting the same sort of pressure on the Cats in round three, but that was at Subiaco. Geelong can expect much the same this time, but can the young Dockers sustain the intensity of their pressure and off-the-ball work for four quarters?

Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley comes to grips with Gary Ablett in round three at Subiaco Oval. The Dockers won’t be allowing Ablett much space at the MCG tonight.Credit:Getty Images

We spoke about the Dockers' ability to run and carry from defence last week, and it was there for all to see. They are probably the best rebound/scoring team in the competition, with quick, precise ball movement into a forward line that continued to change structure throughout the day.

Two areas the Cats will have to watch is this run from behind so players like Mathew Stokes, Travis Varcoe and Shannon Byrnes will have to bring their best pressure games. The other is when Fremantle is held up it will not hesitate to go long to Aaron Sandilands, who marks it and gives off to the runners or, as we saw last week, will draw a free purely on his height.

The stoppages will be critical. Last time 15 goals were kicked from this area, with seven coming from centre bounces. But we may not see Sandilands doing the centre-bounce work, based on his apparent knee injury from last weekend. If this is the case, Fremantle must have a plan to make this area break-even over the course of the game.

In round three Fremantle got a game of basketball happening, not a lot of around-the-ground stoppages. Simply, the Dockers got the game on their terms. These areas of the game will be critical in the result.

Tactics

Given the contrasting styles, both teams will want different games. The Cats are awesome at winning contest after contest, the Dockers have the capacity to win contests and then get the skates on. One tactic used last time by Fremantle was to start Stephen Hill at half-forward knowing that the Cats will drop back one player to protect their back 50-metre arc.

Hill ended the game with 25 possessions, five inside 50s and two goals, Adam McPhee was sent to Corey Enright for the first quarter in a defensive role which enabled Fremantle the luxury of Hill being free. Sandilands was up against Mark Blake and Simpson (playing his first game) and had 37 hitouts. This won't happen this week with Brad Ottens back in the side from the round-three clash. The ruck scenarios promise to be intriguing.

Cameron Ling went to Barlow and was injured early in the game, spending a lot of time forward, David Mundy was up against Joel Selwood in a great battle. I think these match-ups will certainly change this time with Ling perhaps being sent to Mundy, who is pivotal to the Dockers' success. Ryan Crowley kept Gary Ablett company for most of the day last time. McPhee was shifted to the wing in the second quarter where he was matched up against Jimmy Bartel. This was a great clash and could happen again, but he could also go to Selwood or Ablett. Whichever engine room gets on top will have a big say in deciding the game.

Let's look at the Matthew Pavlich-Harry Taylor match-up. Last time the Fremantle captain kicked a bag of five by playing a smart game.

Pavlich took Taylor up the ground to stoppages then turned him inside out by pushing hard forward - his first goal came in this manner. Pavlich would then start in the midfield and push hard forward against the Cats midfielder where he obviously has a marking advantage. By doing this he was able to rid himself of Taylor. The Geelong coaching staff will put many hours into Pavlich.

The Cats' small forwards kicked goals earlier in the year, Ablett four and Paul Chapman three. No doubt Geelong will see if it can get the favourable match-ups and isolate them deep, in doing so taking the Fremantle tall defenders up the ground. What this does is dull the Dockers' run and carry as the small-medium types in Paul Duffield and Roger Hayden may have to defend. Luke McPharlin, who did a super job on Lance Franklin last week, may get taken away from his key post, in other words his opponent will take him to play marbles for the day!

Wildcards and who will win

Loading

Last week we spoke about Anthony Morabito being the Fremantle wildcard, and he was great in every aspect of the game. Well, the kid will be at it again and, along with Hill, they must run and take them on. It takes special players to break through the midfield and into the forward 50 and deliver.

The wildcard for the Cats will be the start. Against the Saints and Pies recently their starts have not been great. They will want to get out of the blocks and stamp their authority early. If they do, the Cats by 27 points.